With a goal from Dénis Bouanga, Los Angeles Football Club defeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a decisive match of the MLS playoffs and made their way to the Western Conference semifinals.
LAFC managed to seal the MLS playoffs against Vancouver, a match in which the Mexican Carlos Vela remained on the bench until the 87th minute, when technical director Steve Cherundolo decided to give him a few minutes on the field.
The Canadian club had to play this match without making mistakes to try to advance In the postseason, they could only achieve this by looking for the one goal advantage that will cause the extension of the series between both teams.
The anxiety and pressure to score in the first minutes betrayed the Canadian team, because at 22 minutes, Defender Tristan Blackmon made contact in the area.
Despite the arguments of those present that there was not enough contact, the arbitration decision was sufficient to decide for the maximum penalty in favor of the Los Angeles club.
Dénis Bouanga stood firm from the 11 steps to take a spectacular penalty and trick goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka. BC Place Stadium witnessed the beginning of that score of 1-0, which would seal this MLS series.
During the next few minutes of the engagement, Vancouver did not show enough spirit and failed to convert opportunities to seek an equalizer which will fuel the possibility of extending the series and thus achieve a third meeting.
The Whitecaps had one last chance in the 85th minute, cWhen Brian White rose in the area to connect a header, which was blocked in the center of the goal for LAFC to maintain the definitive advantage.
Nervousness once again took over the Canadians whenIn the 94th minute, Bouanga scored a double, which was submitted to the VAR review and later annulled by the match refereeing body. Despite the annulment of this goal, LAFC’s passage to the conference semifinals was not prevented.
How are the Conference semifinals in MLS?
In the Western Conference, there are already two teams qualified for this round of semifinals: LAFC, as third seed, and Sporting KC, which advanced as eighth.
The series still needs to be defined between Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas, in which the third game will be played next Friday in Seattle, and the series between Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo, that will play its second game this Monday, taking into account that the Houston team signed a victory in the first game.
In the Eastern Conference, Cincinnati FC, the team with the best record of the season, dispatched the New York Red Bulls this Saturday in a penalty shootout. Philadelphia Union is 1-0 over the New England Revolution, The second game will be played on Wednesday.
While Orlando City goes 1-0 over Nashville SC and the second game is this Tuesday in Tennessee, the day the series will resume between Columbus Crew and Atlanta United.
LAFC opened the MLS playoffs with a rout over Vancouver
The MLS playoffs arrived with a new format and LAFC was in charge of launching it and did so with a great display of football that led to a resounding 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
In the match held at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, forward Denis Bouanga and defender Ryan Hollingshead stood out, scoring a double each. The account was complemented by defender Jesús Murillo.
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